Oumar Barry, teen are charged with murder in deadly shooting of Kimberly Midgette
Murder suspect Oumar Barry, 27, is led from Nassau County police headquarters in Mineola on Friday. Credit: Howard Schnapp
Nassau County homicide detectives have arrested a Hempstead man and a Suffolk County 16-year-old in the April drive-by killing of a Bronx teacher while she was dropping off her daughter.
Oumar Barry, 27, and the teen were both charged Friday with second-degree murder in the April 1 killing of Kimberly Midgette, 44, outside a home on Polk Avenue in Hempstead, Nassau County Det. Capt. Stephen Fitzpatrick said.
Police said Midgette was not the intended target when she and another teacher in the front passenger seat were shot in front of the house at 1:30 a.m.
A stolen white Honda pulled up, and a gunman struck Midgette, a third-grade teacher in the Bronx, and the other woman, also a teacher, who was shot in the left forearm, Fitzpatrick said. Midgette died three days later from her injuries. The other woman was released from the hospital.
Midgette’s 10-year-old daughter was riding in the back seat and was not injured.
Detectives believe Barry and a group of other suspects carried out the shooting in retaliation for a shooting days earlier in which Barry was the target.
“We don’t believe they were the intended target, the women in the car. We’re still looking into who was the actual target in that house. They went there with the determination of shooting someone that night in retaliation for the shooting at Oumar Barry,” Fitzpatrick said. “That car just happened to be there dropping off her daughter. The car pulled up moments before they pulled up to do the drive-by, and they shot into the car, killing her.”
Detectives believe multiple people were involved in a conspiracy to carry out the shooting, and police are looking for additional suspects, Fitzpatrick said.
Barry pleaded not guilty during an arraignment Friday morning in First District Court in Hempstead. Judge Joseph Calabrese ordered him held without bail. The 16-year-old was not identified by police because that person is a minor.
Barry cursed at reporters as he was led to a waiting police car. The attorney who represented him at the arraignment declined to comment.
Police said Barry had several unrelated charges pending, including robbery, assault and burglary.
With Howard Schnapp
Nassau County homicide detectives have arrested a Hempstead man and a Suffolk County 16-year-old in the April drive-by killing of a Bronx teacher while she was dropping off her daughter.
Oumar Barry, 27, and the teen were both charged Friday with second-degree murder in the April 1 killing of Kimberly Midgette, 44, outside a home on Polk Avenue in Hempstead, Nassau County Det. Capt. Stephen Fitzpatrick said.
Police said Midgette was not the intended target when she and another teacher in the front passenger seat were shot in front of the house at 1:30 a.m.
A stolen white Honda pulled up, and a gunman struck Midgette, a third-grade teacher in the Bronx, and the other woman, also a teacher, who was shot in the left forearm, Fitzpatrick said. Midgette died three days later from her injuries. The other woman was released from the hospital.
Midgette’s 10-year-old daughter was riding in the back seat and was not injured.
Detectives believe Barry and a group of other suspects carried out the shooting in retaliation for a shooting days earlier in which Barry was the target.
“We don’t believe they were the intended target, the women in the car. We’re still looking into who was the actual target in that house. They went there with the determination of shooting someone that night in retaliation for the shooting at Oumar Barry,” Fitzpatrick said. “That car just happened to be there dropping off her daughter. The car pulled up moments before they pulled up to do the drive-by, and they shot into the car, killing her.”
Detectives believe multiple people were involved in a conspiracy to carry out the shooting, and police are looking for additional suspects, Fitzpatrick said.
Barry pleaded not guilty during an arraignment Friday morning in First District Court in Hempstead. Judge Joseph Calabrese ordered him held without bail. The 16-year-old was not identified by police because that person is a minor.
Barry cursed at reporters as he was led to a waiting police car. The attorney who represented him at the arraignment declined to comment.
Police said Barry had several unrelated charges pending, including robbery, assault and burglary.
With Howard Schnapp
John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.
